AI: Top 7
Whoa - Crystal is in an evening gown, and Siobhan looks like she's in the Michelle Pfeiffer "Midsummer Night's Dream". Alicia Keys is tonight's mentor. I love her, but I still say the show jumped the shark when they had Adam Lambert as a mentor. I have to say, she did a GREAT job of giving them real stuff to work on tonight.
Casey is singing Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac to start the show. Whoa, Casey -- did you start in a different key than the rest of the band? It sounded good as soon as he got past the first 4 notes, but that was a weird beginning (also almost no intro, so I'll give him more slack than usual). I kind of like this because it's less rockabilly and a little more old skool rock (sort of Boston with an edge-ish). It's also upbeat and the crowd likes his electric guitar playing. Its a good arrangement, and he's having fun on stage, which is good. No real criticism from me, but I really did want to clear his throat for him :) I think Casey needs to develop some range -- basically, all his songs sound almost exactly the same. This is one of the reasons I'm not a big Dave Matthews Band fan -- all their songs sound identical. Not bad, but just same.
Lee is going to sing with a LOT of product in his hair. His song is The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel). I like the beginning, although he had a few pitch problems before the "lai lai lais". This is a GREAT song for his voice, and the choruses are emotional, passionate, and sound really good. I think he has some lipstick on (perhaps from a kiss beforehand), which I'm not a fan of, and unfortunately, he leaned away from the mic on the very last note, but that was really, really good. That was inspirational, and moving. He's not going home on that performance, unless the rest of the competitors just knock our socks off.
Tim is up to sing Better Days (Goo Goo Dolls). Oh dear, I really don't like this moppy hair! I love the strings, but he's having some pitch problems tonight. I still say he's most improved over the season, but this started out weak. Once the song got going, he got better and had a little more confidence, but the first half was ... not so much. It was a good song for him, but a little over his head, I think. If he'd done the whole song the way he did the last half, he'd be in better shape, but I'm thinking he's in jeopardy.
Aaron is going to sing a song he's been singing since age 5? I Believe I Can Fly is big shoes to fill. He starts off sounding nervous, but on key. Oh. This is like a pageant performance, and would be a huge hit at a high school talent show, but I don't like it at all. And I'm sorry, but I don't believe he can fly (which Alicia counselled him to work on), and the end is bo-ring. Yawn. The tweens (and the crowd in the theater) will love it, but I didn't. He could, however, go be on Broadway tomorrow. Simon is right in terms of if I heard that on the radio, I would totally turn it off.
Siobhan takes on Whitney/Mariah to sing When You Believe. I have to say that I LOVE what the stylist did with her tonight. LOVE. She's starting this with more control than she's demonstrated in the last couple of weeks. Believe you me, it's way harder to sing quietly and powerfully and slowly than to blow the roof off. I like this. It's not fabulous, but it's better than the last couple of weeks. It really sounded like a Disney soundtrack song to me -- not a bad thing, but not necessarily contemporary, either. I like her response to the judges, too: she didn't want "who sings the song" to scare her off -- she just loves the song and wanted to get a chance to sing it.
Big Mike is going to sing Hero. I gotta say I love him without a hat. GREAT beginning. That was smooth, and perfectly executed. The strings add a sort of Coldplay "Viva la Vida" element, and I like it. Now THIS is contemporary, and almost (in a good way) unrecognizable from the original. And it could be on the radio tomorrow, and I would listen to it. Way to BRING IT, Big Mike! I haven't been thinking he'd do well throughout the season, but I'm starting to change my mind. I totally disagree with the judges on his performance.
Crystal is going to sing People Get Ready, and she's not playing any instruments (Ryan said she's performing without an instrument, which made me yell at the TV, "the VOICE is an instrument, asshat!"). This has an AMAZING opening, totally a Capella, and dude, she has SUCH control of her voice! Right on pitch when the piano comes in. Now this is inspiring. Who knew Mama Sox could do a gospel song? Seriously, this is good. Whoa. She started crying at the end. It's ok to get choked up in a performance, but that was a little much at the end. And Randy gives her a standing ovation. And Simon is right: "that was inspirational." He's right.
Predictie McLeaverson thinks we'll say goodbye to:
Tim or Aaron, but Siobhan could be in the bottom three
And if you're wondering who took the night: Crystal. By several miles.
Casey is singing Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac to start the show. Whoa, Casey -- did you start in a different key than the rest of the band? It sounded good as soon as he got past the first 4 notes, but that was a weird beginning (also almost no intro, so I'll give him more slack than usual). I kind of like this because it's less rockabilly and a little more old skool rock (sort of Boston with an edge-ish). It's also upbeat and the crowd likes his electric guitar playing. Its a good arrangement, and he's having fun on stage, which is good. No real criticism from me, but I really did want to clear his throat for him :) I think Casey needs to develop some range -- basically, all his songs sound almost exactly the same. This is one of the reasons I'm not a big Dave Matthews Band fan -- all their songs sound identical. Not bad, but just same.
Lee is going to sing with a LOT of product in his hair. His song is The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel). I like the beginning, although he had a few pitch problems before the "lai lai lais". This is a GREAT song for his voice, and the choruses are emotional, passionate, and sound really good. I think he has some lipstick on (perhaps from a kiss beforehand), which I'm not a fan of, and unfortunately, he leaned away from the mic on the very last note, but that was really, really good. That was inspirational, and moving. He's not going home on that performance, unless the rest of the competitors just knock our socks off.
Tim is up to sing Better Days (Goo Goo Dolls). Oh dear, I really don't like this moppy hair! I love the strings, but he's having some pitch problems tonight. I still say he's most improved over the season, but this started out weak. Once the song got going, he got better and had a little more confidence, but the first half was ... not so much. It was a good song for him, but a little over his head, I think. If he'd done the whole song the way he did the last half, he'd be in better shape, but I'm thinking he's in jeopardy.
Aaron is going to sing a song he's been singing since age 5? I Believe I Can Fly is big shoes to fill. He starts off sounding nervous, but on key. Oh. This is like a pageant performance, and would be a huge hit at a high school talent show, but I don't like it at all. And I'm sorry, but I don't believe he can fly (which Alicia counselled him to work on), and the end is bo-ring. Yawn. The tweens (and the crowd in the theater) will love it, but I didn't. He could, however, go be on Broadway tomorrow. Simon is right in terms of if I heard that on the radio, I would totally turn it off.
Siobhan takes on Whitney/Mariah to sing When You Believe. I have to say that I LOVE what the stylist did with her tonight. LOVE. She's starting this with more control than she's demonstrated in the last couple of weeks. Believe you me, it's way harder to sing quietly and powerfully and slowly than to blow the roof off. I like this. It's not fabulous, but it's better than the last couple of weeks. It really sounded like a Disney soundtrack song to me -- not a bad thing, but not necessarily contemporary, either. I like her response to the judges, too: she didn't want "who sings the song" to scare her off -- she just loves the song and wanted to get a chance to sing it.
Big Mike is going to sing Hero. I gotta say I love him without a hat. GREAT beginning. That was smooth, and perfectly executed. The strings add a sort of Coldplay "Viva la Vida" element, and I like it. Now THIS is contemporary, and almost (in a good way) unrecognizable from the original. And it could be on the radio tomorrow, and I would listen to it. Way to BRING IT, Big Mike! I haven't been thinking he'd do well throughout the season, but I'm starting to change my mind. I totally disagree with the judges on his performance.
Crystal is going to sing People Get Ready, and she's not playing any instruments (Ryan said she's performing without an instrument, which made me yell at the TV, "the VOICE is an instrument, asshat!"). This has an AMAZING opening, totally a Capella, and dude, she has SUCH control of her voice! Right on pitch when the piano comes in. Now this is inspiring. Who knew Mama Sox could do a gospel song? Seriously, this is good. Whoa. She started crying at the end. It's ok to get choked up in a performance, but that was a little much at the end. And Randy gives her a standing ovation. And Simon is right: "that was inspirational." He's right.
Predictie McLeaverson thinks we'll say goodbye to:
Tim or Aaron, but Siobhan could be in the bottom three
And if you're wondering who took the night: Crystal. By several miles.